London Overground night-time service will resume on December 17
This comes in addition to parts of the Night Tube being reinstated
TfL has confirmed today (November 4) that night-time Overground services will resume shortly after the Night Tube reopens.
On Friday and Saturday nights, beginning December 17, night Overground services between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate will resume.
It comes after the announcement earlier this month that Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria lines would restart on November 27, with the remaining three Night Tube lines reopening "as soon as is practicable."
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TfL has said that it is working to resolve “resourcing issues” in order to get the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Northern lines back running on the Night Tube service.
On a Twitter post, TfL said: Overground night services will be restored on Friday and Saturday nights between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate from 17 December will closely follow Victoria and Central line Night Tube services, which return on 27 November."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Coming only a few weeks after the return of the Victoria and Central Night Tube lines, this is another important mile stone as London’s vibrant night-time economy continues its recovery from the pandemic.
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“I am determined to make the capital as safe as possible for all Londoners, especially women and girls, and the return of the Night Overground will make a huge difference to those who are travelling home late at night, offering another quick, easy and safe way for people to travel around the city.”
Mr Khan went on to say that the Night Overground's reopening will connect more Londoners to nightlife hotspots "just in time for the holiday period."
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, has said that the resumption of Night Overground services is “a step in the right direction”.
He said: “With a focus on vulnerability, and the safety of women at night, and thousands of night workers within London, we cannot underestimate the vital role these services play in keeping the capital safe at night."
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Although the Night Overground's restoration and the partial reopening of the Night Tube have been warmly received, TfL and the Mayor of London are facing mounting pressure to restore the entire Night Tube service.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Night Tube and Overground services were discontinued in March 2020, with employees relocated to keep the transit network working during the day when demand was higher.
On weekdays, the Overground sees roughly 71% of pre-pandemic passenger numbers, increasing to 80% on weekends, while the Tube sees 60% of pre-pandemic passenger numbers on weekdays, rising to 80% on weekends- according to the Evening Standard.
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[Via:Evening Standard]
Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter